StockNews.com Upgrades Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG) to Buy

Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

HCSG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Healthcare Services Group from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Macquarie began coverage on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a report on Monday, December 16th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $13.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $17.00 price objective on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $13.80.

Healthcare Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ HCSG traded down $0.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $10.84. 609,817 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 428,367. Healthcare Services Group has a 12-month low of $9.70 and a 12-month high of $13.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $11.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.24. The firm has a market cap of $794.46 million, a P/E ratio of 15.71 and a beta of 0.56.

Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.04). Healthcare Services Group had a return on equity of 12.59% and a net margin of 2.95%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Healthcare Services Group will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HCSG. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Healthcare Services Group by 100.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,137 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Healthcare Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Healthcare Services Group by 803.4% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,358 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 2,097 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Healthcare Services Group by 804.0% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,730 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,428 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. lifted its position in Healthcare Services Group by 85.7% during the third quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 8,180 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 3,774 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.97% of the company's stock.

Healthcare Services Group Company Profile

Healthcare Services Group, Inc provides management, administrative, and operating services to the housekeeping, laundry, linen, facility maintenance, and dietary service departments of nursing homes, retirement complexes, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals in the United States. It operates through two segments, Housekeeping and Dietary.